Mirlande Joseph

“The way the engineers talk to me and explain everything to me, along with how they work with the construction professionals, as well as their level of energy, passion and enthusiasm, have all been better than I anticipated. I would certainly recommend Build Change to anyone I know building a house!”Mirlande Joseph

“After what I experienced on January 12, 2010, I knew I wanted to make sure my house was going to withstand another earthquake or any of the many hurricanes we get in Haiti. When my friend told me about the organization Build Change, I was eager to meet with someone from this organization to help me make that happen.”

Mirlande met with Build Change engineer Louinel Pierre, who explained that Build Change provides free structurally-sound designs, cost estimates, and on-site training and supervision of the construction professionals that homeowners hire to build their homes. With the education and information from Build Change, Mirlande could be confident that her new home would be earthquake- and hurricane-safe, along with being a fair cost and made with good materials.

By providing technical support and information, Build Change empowered Mirlande to build a safe home. Mirlande noted, “I learned about how to properly dig for the house’s foundation, lay blocks and bend rebar. I also learned that what’s going to keep my house sturdy during adverse weather is making sure that all the walls are tied to the posts and the beams and are all reinforced so that they don’t collapse.”

“The way the engineers talk to me and explain everything to me, along with how they work with the construction professionals, as well as their level of energy, passion and enthusiasm, have all been better than I anticipated. I would certainly recommend Build Change to anyone I know building a house!”